Angel with a shotgun
by AnomalyLady
Summary: When the first Seal to Lucifer's cage is broken the first people to take notice and set off the alarms are the 12th Division of the Gotei 13.Ichigo finds out there's more to the After Life and the Living World than he ever knew.He becomes forced to work for a strange Shinigami named Castiel who insist on being called an Angel and has to guard 2 Humans set on saving the World.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Yes I know I'm a bad author, posting something new when I have other stories that need tending too… But when I hit blocks I usually right something new to help things move along. This is one of those. It's a work in progress, I have no idea where it will go, but its fun to write and I really wanted to share. I hope you all like it.**

**Summery: When the first Seal to Lucifer cage is broken the first people to take notice and set of the alarms of the 12th Division of the Gotei 13. Ichigo finds out there's even more to the After Life and the Living World than he ever thought. Not too mention he becomes forced to work for strange Shinigami named Castiel who insist on being called an Angel, he also has to guard and help to humans bent on saving the world even if it kills them all. **

**Warnings: Bad language and violence for sure. Pairings unknown if any. Will update as this goes along. **

Angel with a shotgun

Chapter 1

Ichigo stood barely at attention, desperately trying to keep his eyes open but they were red and bleary from lack of sleep among other things and this meeting was proving just as mind numbing as any other. Every time he blinked his nose wrinkled at the sand paper like feeling his eyelids had gained and he glared at Shinji who stood across from him appearing fresh as a daisy despite last night's bender.

He stared down the line of Taichos once more, things had changed considerably since the Quincy War and the roster of Taichos for the Gotei 13 had changed the most. Old man Yama had died in the first assault against Soul Society and had left Kyoraku to become his successor and he was doing a pretty good job considering his general dislike for actual work. Most people gave that credit to Nanao and Genshiro but when it came down to it, it turned out that the laid back Soutaicho was more than capable of making the tough decisions on his own.

Kenpachi, Komamura, Ukitake, Soi Fong, Hitsugaya and to Ichigo's disappointment Kurotshuchi had all survived the Quincy war and had retained their rightful positions over their Divisions.

Of course Shinji, Kensei and Rose had taken back their former squads before the war had started and had managed to survive. The loss of Momo had been hard on everyone however, they had almost lost Izuru has well but the man had managed to pull through after spending several weeks in a coma and had only recently returned to light duty. To everyone's surprise Hiyori had come back mid war and had stayed on has Shinji's Fukutaicho. They fought a lot and Hiyori complained about being in Soul Society constantly but Ichigo was pretty sure it was all a front and that she was actually happy to be back.

Isane had been promoted to Taicho for the 4th after the war, having achieved Bankai near the end of the conflict. Yasochika had been promoted as her Fukutaicho and Hanataro had advanced to 3rd Seat much to his dismay.

Then there was Byakuya, the 6th Division Taicho had yet to fully recover from his injuries so it had been decided that Renji would take over but it was proving difficult to get the man to agree to it. Ichigo understood why his friend was less than pleased about the situation; the tattooed man had wanted to best his Taicho by merit of his own hard work not a technicality. So has it stood, Renji was stubbornly retaining his Fukutaicho position while doing all of a Taicho's work on top of his own. Much like Izuru, Shuuhei and Momo had done after their own Taichos had defected all those years ago.

Finally, here stood Ichigo, newly minted Taicho for the 8th Division. His Fukutaicho was none other than Lisa much to Kyoraku's amusement. As Ichigo stood there amongst new and old Taichos, he let his thoughts wonder instead of actually paying attention to what was being said, thinking back to the ridiculous circumstances of his death. While he had been busy fighting against the Quincy here in Soul Society, he had left his body at Urahara's shop. Unfortunately, one day while the kids and Tessai were out getting supplies one of the neighboring stores had caught fire taking several other buildings along with it, Urahara's Shotten and Ichigo's body included.

Of course he had found out months afterwards and it had been really creepy to visit his own memorial. Once he'd gotten over the shock he had been angry about all the things he would miss out on, he knew he would never have had a truly normal life but he had hoped he would have had a chance to try. At least he still had a purpose, he could still maintain contact with his family and friends and he still had his whole afterlife ahead of him.

"Alright then, I guess that's it for today, unless anyone has anything new to bring up?" Kyoraku's voice drew Ichigo out of his reverie and he shook his head lightly before taking a peak around to see if anyone would speak up. When the silence stretched a few more moments the Soutaicho smiled from under his straw hat and dismissed them all.

Ichigo had only made two steps towards the door when Akon came bursting through, appearing rather dishevelled and out of breath. There were a few groans from various Taichos, whatever this was about it couldn't be good.

"Kurotsutchi Taicho, we're getting some disturbing readings, we need you and the Soutaicho to come down to the 12th right now." Akon bowed while he spoke and Ichigo frowned. Akon wasn't the type to get ruffled or break protocol, whatever was going on did not bode well.

Mayuri sneered. "What is it that you simpletons could not handle on your own, let alone barge into a Taichos Meeting?" He glared down at his 3rd Seat deeply annoyed at the prospect of another problem.

"Now, now Mayuri no need to get upset. Poor fellow obviously rushed over here because it was important. What seems to be the problem?" Kyoraku stood just as relax as ever, his calm demeanor however only seemed to irritate the 12th Division Taicho even more.

"I'll question my own subordinates!" He stepped directly in front of Akon and motioned for him to speak up.

"We've gotten some worrying readings from Hell." Akon paused to see if he would need to elaborate. When Kurotsutchi stared at him like he was a specimen jar he continued. "If the readings are correct the first seal has been broken, we've sent a message to Squad Zero but have yet to hear from the Imperial Dimension…"

The hall of the First Division remained silent for several minutes until finally Ichigo could bare it no longer. "Um, I have no clue what you guys are on about but if it means those weirdoes have to get involved it can't be good, right? So what the hell is all this about?"

Kyoraku sighed deeply. "Kurotsutchi Taicho, go back to your Division and keep me apprised of any changes." He patted the 12th Division Taicho on the shoulder ignoring the look of disgust it earned him. "Everyone else go about your day, you will be contacted as soon as I know more. Ichigo-kun come with me." Kyoraku wrapped his arm around Ichigo's shoulders and led him back to office, waving a casual dismissal to the remaining dumbstruck Taichos.

The Soutaicho sat at his desk and reached underneath to grab a bottle of Sake and 2 cups. After placing them down he motioned for his youngest Taicho, who had been scowling deeply the whole way, to take a seat.

"How much do you know about Hell Ichigo-kun?" The brunet asked while pouring the drinks generously.

"Not much to be honest, I've only seen the gates open a few times." Ichigo admitted easily while trying to ignore the urge to throw up at the pungent smell of alcohol.

"Are you familiar with the Christian concepts of the afterlife; God, Heaven, the Devil?" Kyoraku took a sip of his cup and regarded Ichigo seriously.

"Ya, a bit… I've got an idea but all this," Ichigo waved his hand at the room around him, "makes that kinda irrelevant right."

Kyoraku chuckled gently. "Actually they're not far off. You see, the afterlife is rather complex. Soul Society is so vast because it is so old, but in reality we mainly cater to Asia. There are in fact many different dimensions of sort that take care of the different areas of the Living World. The Soul King, which you are familiar with, serves as the ultimate authority over all of those." He paused and finished his cup, smiling at the young Shinigami's stunned look. "As such for westerners, God is actually the Soul King. Same difference, I believe the saying is for you youngsters.

"Also from that view point; Hueco Mundo is actually Purgatory and it host more than Hollows. The residents of the Royal Dimension could be considered Angels and Arch Angels. Lastly Lucifer or the Devil, does in fact exist." The Soutaicho smirked into his cup.

"What! Why the hell didn't anyone tell me about this?" Ichigo almost yelled in disbelief.

"You really think Aizen was the first to betray us and make an attempt at the Throne. Actually, Aizen was a pussycat when compared to Lucifer." Kyoraku's expression darkened briefly. "But that was a very long time ago. The short version of it is that the Soul King locked Lucifer in Hell for his mutinous ways. He then created a series of seals or locks to keep him there and now if Akon is right, and we both know it's very likely the case, the first seal has been broken. Someone is trying to free dear old Luci-chan from his prison."

Ichigo Kurosaki was in shock. What had he ever done to deserve this! It was one shit storm after another and he just knew, he knew, he would somehow get roped into this mess and have to save the world. Again.


	2. Chapter 2 Orders

AN: A thank you to all those who followed and faved. I had no idea this would take off like this. Thanks to _9tail-Naruto_ and _guest_ who reviewed. Hope you like the new chapter.

I guess I should have said this in the first chapter but if you have not followed the manga after the end of the anime this will contain_** SPOILERS**_. Also there will be another note at the end that will also contain spoilers if you're not up to date with the manga. A reminder, this fic came out of nowhere so updates may be sporadic. Enjoy.

Angel with a shotgun

Chapter 2

"Orders"

_Previously~_

"_You really think Aizen was the first to betray us and make an attempt at the Throne. Actually, Aizen was a pussycat when compared to Lucifer." Kyoraku's expression darkened briefly. "But that was a very long time ago. The short version of it is that the Soul King locked Lucifer in Hell for his mutinous ways. He then created a series of seals or locks to keep him there and now if Akon is right, and we both know it's very likely the case, the first seal has been broken. Someone is trying to free dear old Luci-chan from his prison."_

_Ichigo Kurosaki was in shock. What had he ever done to deserve this! It was one shit storm after another and he just knew, he knew, he would somehow get roped into this mess and have to save the world. Again._

Now~

Ichigo stood glaring from where he stood with the other Taichos in the courtyard of the 1st division, wishing he could be somewhere else. He'd honestly hoped he'd never have to see that damn Tenchuu-Ren* again and the very fact that it was here meant shit had really hit the fan.

"They really do like to make an entrance don't they?" Shunsui chuckled from his spot next to Jushiro who smiled back and the two friends shared a laugh.

Ichigo didn't know how those two did it,_ seriously the world is about to go to Hell in a hand basket (literally) and_ _these two are chatting like a couple of old ladies having tea_. The dust was starting to settle and the young Taicho couldn't help but groan loudly. He really didn't want to see these weirdoes again.

"I know how you feel man… You don't think _she'll_ be there right?" Renji had quietly made his way to stand next to Ichigo while they waited for the Tenchuu-Ren's doors to open. They both shared a horrified look and shivered, knowing exactly who they were talking about and both had sworn never to mention that particular incident again... Ever.

"Damn it Renji! You just had to bring it up didn't you?" Ichigo growled but there wasn't any real heat to his anger, he was just too anxious.

Renji was about to answer back when the doors opened; everyone stopped their idle conversations and braced themselves for the entrance of the Zero Division. However the lone figure that emerged from the Tenchuu-Ren left the members of the Gotei 13 rather speechless.

Ichigo watched in confusion as a single Shinigami he had never seen before walked calmly towards the Soutaicho. The man's appearance was rather average, at least when compared to that of those of the Zero Division. He wore no Shihakusho instead he was dressed in a modern suit with tan trench coat which concealed any other details of his appearance aside from his height and coloring. To Ichigo the new Shinigami appeared to be a Westerner, was a bit shorter than himself and sported short brown hair.

The stranger and Shunsui talked in hushed tones for a short time while the other Taichos observed tensely. Finally they both turned and made their way towards the waiting crowd.

"I'd like to introduce you to Castiel; he's a Soutaicho for one of the garrisons of the Imperial Palace." Shunsui pated the newly announced Soutaicho on the shoulder and guided him around while introducing him to all the members of the Gotei 13.

"Ah and this is Kurosaki Taicho, he heads the 8th." Ichigo raised a disbelieving eyebrow as Castiel Soutaicho gave him a quick bow, something he had not done for any of the other Taichos and actually spoke to him.

"It is an honor to meet you Kurosaki Taicho, Heaven has heard a great deal about you." Castiel's voice was rather gruff and it took Ichigo completely by surprise. It was also then that he noticed that he couldn't sense any reiatsu coming from Castiel which was rather unsettling. The only time he'd had a similar experience had been when Aizen's power had been so far above anyone else's that it had become unperceivable. He was still trying to formulate a response when the man's expressionless face, which painfully reminded Ichigo of Byakuya, turned to Shunsui and spoke again.

"Kyoraku Soutaicho, time is pressing and I must go. You have your orders. I will impress upon you the importance of getting Kurosaki Taicho ready for his assignment quickly. He must be at appropriate coordinates with his Vessel within the hour." Castiel paused quickly before looking back to Ichigo. "I will contact you with any additional orders when they arise." The Imperial Soutaicho gave Shunsui a brief nod and disappeared.

"What the hell was that!" Ichigo choked out, as cacophony of similar questions burst out around him. That had to have been the fastest Shunpo he'd ever witness, he hadn't sensed anything; it was like the man had just vanished.

"Now, now. Everyone calm down. We don't have a lot of time to get ready. Kurotsutchi Taicho; Kurosaki-kun is going need a gigai as well as everything on this list; he has been assigned a mission to the Living World." Shunsui handed Mayuri a thick folder who only sneered in response before marching away. Ichigo groaned, _I knew it_, he thought bitterly.

"Everyone else will get their orders shortly. Kurosaki-Kun please follow me." Shunsui dipped his hat as a dismissal and made his towards the Senkaimon with Ichigo following gravely.

"So, what am I getting roped into this time?" Ichigo asked while fingering Zangetsu's hilt at his hip for reassurance.

"Your mission, it seems, comes from on high." Shunsui said passively as he pointed a digit towards the sky. "You will be staying in the Living World for an undisclosed amount of time to guard two Imperial Vessels and prevent as many Seals from being broken as you can manage." At Ichigo's confused expression Shunsui explained in more detail. "It's a bit complicated so I'll do my best to keep it simple. What makes the Shinigami of the Imperial Realm so different is the fact that they are not part of the cycle. They were never souls which once resided in the Living World. The Soul King created them for the sole purpose of serving him in his realm. That is why it such a rare occurrence for a Shinigami from the Soul Society to be promoted into the Zero Division." Shunsui paused to make sure Ichigo understood.

"OK, I guessed that explains the trench coat guy but what about that stuff about Vessels? Castiel said I needed one with me?" Ichigo added.

Shunsui chuckled lightly. "What he meant was a gigai. The Imperials don't come down here very often so they are a bit… Well you'll see what I mean since Castiel will be your commanding officer for this mission." Shunsui ignored Ichigo's sputtering and continued. "However, Imperials don't need gigais. They actually have mortal bodies in the Living World, all they have to do is gain permission from the soul residing in the body so that they may gain access and control over it."

"Like possession?" Ichigo asked in surprise.

"Oh no, I recommend you never infer something like that in front of an Imperial. Demons possess mortals. It's thought an honor to accept an Imperial, or Angel as they prefer, to share your mortal shell."

"Demons are real!" Ichigo choked out. "As if Hollows weren't bad enough, damn it! What else?"

"I'm glad you're taking this so well Ichigo. You see; the Vessels you will be guarding are actually what's known as Hunters. They hunt and kill demons and other supernatural evils. I think this pair, brothers by the way, have actually managed to purify a few Hollows." Shunsui face took on solemn look. "What I'm about to tell you is considered classified, you must not reveal this knowledge to anyone, understood?"

At Ichigo's nod Shunsui began again. "The Winchester brothers have made a similar sort of uproar as you did Ichigo. They have led hard lives and sacrificed much for the sake of doing good and revenge. Over a year ago the youngest, Samuel, died in battle. Dean, incapable of living with the death of the brother he had raised made a Demon deal. He sold his soul for his brother's life. Dean was given one year of life with his brother before the Hell Hounds came to rip his soul from his body and drag it to Hell. That was a few month ago. But time in hell is different. His soul has suffered there for decades and when his spirit broke so did the first seal." Shunsui's voice was obviously mournful. "Dean is a Vessel and so is Samuel. Who's vessels exactly? I have not been told. It has been decided that Dean is too valuable to remain in Hell, which is what Castiel and his garrison are taking care of at this moment."

"Are you telling me these Imperial Shinigami or Angels or whatever and Demons can bring back the dead?" Ichigo cut in. The Senkaimon was now in sight and Ichigo felt truly unprepared for the task set for him.

"Yes, though it is incredibly rare. Now you don't have much time left. You will be exiting the Senkaimon at Winchester Dean's burial site, from which his body will rise. He will no doubt be suspicious of you and will wish to test you to ensure you can be trusted. You are permitted to tell him who and what you are, you are also permitted to tell him that he was raised from Hell to complete his destiny." At Ichigo's raised eyebrows Shunsui chuckled. "Yes I know how it sounds but…" He shrugged.

"Ya, ya, orders. I get it." Ichigo grumbled. He had no idea how he was supposed to pull this off and he had a feeling this Winchester guy wouldn't be thrilled either.

"You must help him find his brother and protect them both. I've been told by Castiel that he will reveal himself to you and the Winchesters when the time is right." They had just reached the Senkaimon where Akon was waiting for them. He had Ichigo's gigai thrown over his shoulder and a backpack at his feet.

Ichigo exchanged a quick nod in greeting with Akon as he handed him his gigai and the backpack. "Just a few supplies; the instructions are inside."

"So I'm not getting sealed up either uh?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"No, you're control has gotten much better and we cannot afford the risk." Shunsui smiled despite the serious nature of the matter. He waved at Ichigo to proceed and added quickly. "Don't worry about the 8th, Lisa will manage fine. Oh yes and I hope your English is good since you'll be in America. Keep in touch!"

"What!" Ichigo shouted out as the doors of the Senkaimon slid shut and groaned deeply before following the *Jigokucho through the *Dangai.

**TBC**

_***Tenchuu-Ren**_: Heavenly Pillar. The preferred mode of transportation used by the Zero Division, Bleach manga: chapter 516

_***Jigokucho**_: The butterflies used by the Soul Society as guides through the Dangai and as messengers.

_***Dangai**_: The precipice world. The passage between Soul Society and the Living World.

**AN2:** I know this was mostly set-up but eh, Cas made an appearance that's gotta count for something right. Obviously since this is AU/AR I have to tweek some things to mesh the two worlds together. Hopefully it works. _**Spoiler**_= As for Ichigo, I'm not sure is I should stick with the whole Shinigami/hollow/quincy hybrid thing. I'd rather stick with the Shinigami/Hollow hybrid. So I might make a poll or something. Also I'm wondering if I should go with the new dual wielding or stick to one Zangetsu? Reviews are author food, just so you know ;)

~Ja ne.


	3. Chapter 3 The Living World

Angel with a shotgun

Chapter 3

"The Living World"

_Previously~_

_Ichigo exchanged a quick nod in greeting with Akon as he handed him his gigai and the backpack. "Just a few supplies; the instructions are inside."_

"_So I'm not getting sealed up either uh?" Ichigo asked curiously._

"_No, you're control has gotten much better and we cannot afford the risk." Shunsui smiled despite the serious nature of the matter. He waved at Ichigo to proceed and added quickly. "Don't worry about the 8th, Lisa will manage fine. Oh yes and I hope your English is good since you'll be in America. Keep in touch!"_

"_What!" Ichigo shouted out as the doors of the Senkaimon slid shut and groaned deeply before following the Jigokucho through the Dangai._

Now~

When Ichigo stepped out of the Senkaimon he was still grumbling about Shunsui's parting words. It seemed like it was a good thing he'd worked so hard in his last 2 years of school. He may not have been at the top of his class, but he'd done well enough he was pretty sure his English would be passable… It's not like he had much choice in the matter anyway... He sighed once more before walking out into a small clearing in a wooden area and put his gigai down. So, what the hell was he supposed to do now?

It was then that he spotted a small wooden cross planted in the ground not far from him. Oh ya, now he remembered. The guy he was supposed to look after was dead… So this must be where he was buried. Living the life he'd had; death didn't bother Ichigo but there was something rather sad about the lonely unmarked grave, it bothered him more than he cared to admit.

Ichigo looked down at his gigai finally taking the time to get a good look at it and breathed a sigh of relief. Akon had done a good job by the looks of it, not that much of a surprise really but he did remember Renji's ridiculous outfit the first time he'd come to the living world. No, this wasn't too bad and it was actually pretty close to what he would normally have worn when he'd been alive.

He slipped into the gigai easily but it was an odd feeling; not like going back into a living body at all. It felt a bit stiff so he tried moving around a bit to get a feel for the thing. Looking down at his trainers he noticed the backpack Akon had given him.

Not sure how long he'd have to wait here before the Winchester man showed up Ichigo took a seat in front of the grave marker and went through the backpack. The first thing he pulled out was a Soulphone, well at least he'd have a way to contact Shunsui and give him shit. Ichigo just hoped he wasn't expected to go running around after any Hollows that popped up around him, the local Shinigami should be able to handle it. Next came a few bottles of water, some files, a knife (which confused Ichigo a bit), a flask with a Christian cross on it (this was getting weirder the deeper in he dug in), and finally a wallet with some identification cards and some money.

Ichigo was rather relieved and thanked his lucky whatevers that Akon was a competent man who had obviously thought about things he himself hadn't even considered. The ID cards were good, they had kept his real name so he wouldn't have to fumble with a fake one (he was a horrible liar) and the cash would be handy for certain. The knife and the flask were odd but Ichigo hoped the files would explain.

As it turned out there were 3 folders; the first was a basic run down on Winchester Dean, the second was about the younger Winchester; Samuel and the final folder was apparently a brief explanation on what and who Hunters were. Ichigo figured it would be best to find out what Hunters did first, seeing as the men he was supposed to be following around for who knew how long did that for a living. If you could call it that but then again he really wasn't one to talk.

Ichigo was about half way through the Hunter's folder when he felt a strong surge in the Reishi around him. The build-up was impressively fast and it didn't take long for him to figure out something was about to happen. Scrambling to gather his new things back into the bag, Ichigo was about to make a run for it when he was hit by an enormous shockwave which threw him to the ground causing him to promptly black out.

XX

Dean Winchester eyes shot open in the dark, he was confused and disoriented but his first cohesive thought was wondering why he wasn't hearing the screams of tortured souls. Instinctively he reached into his jean pockets for his lighter, both surprised and relieved to find it. Flicking the lighter open with practiced ease, the soft glow from the flame caused Dean to blink slightly while trying to figure out just where he was. It didn't take long for him to realise he was trapped in a small cramped wooden box. Nope, this was so not good.

He tried calling out for help, but his voice came out as hoarse whisper. His throat hurt like hell and after a few futile tries it became obvious that he would have to get himself out this mess.

It hadn't actually occurred to him that he could've been underground but the mouth full of dirt he got after breaking through had made it painfully clear. It had been touch and go for a while and Dean had had a few panicked moments (that no one would _ever_ know about) but thankfully whoever had planted his ass in the ground hadn't gone for the whole 6 feet under. It was probably more like 4ish.

Taking in a lung full of fresh air Dean pulled himself out of the ground, though he was fumbling slightly because of the weight from the dirt and was forced to drag himself out. Dean couldn't help but think he must have looked like something out of a bad zombie movie. Despite shaky legs the Hunter was able to lift himself off the ground and blinked back a few times at the blinding sun.

It took a few moments for his eyes to fight back the white light and finally focus on his surroundings. Dean didn't have a clue what was going on or where he was but he had a few guesses as to what he should have seen. Mostly he'd been expecting Sammy. That however really wasn't the case. Dean was floored to say the least when his blurry vision settled on the area around him; it looked like the place had been nuked and here he was right smack in the middle. Whatever had pulled him out had some serious mojo and to Dean, that didn't bode well at all.

"The fuck…" Dean's first words to world came out just has hoarsely has they had from his pine box. He was at loss as to what to do and gazed in shock and wonder at the destruction surrounding him. It was then that he was pulled from his thoughts by a groan coming from somewhere uncomfortably close by.

Dean twisted in his spot to face where he had heard the sound come from, his body tensed. He was suddenly frustratingly aware that he had no weapons and had no idea what kind of situation he was in. He cursed in his head, not wanting to alert the other person to his presence and hoped that he wouldn't have to gank anything with his bare hands just minutes after escaping Hell.

In his line of work one of the first and foremost things Dean Winchester held on to was that looks were deceiving. Until you could prove it was human, assume it wasn't and even if it was that doesn't mean you won't have to shoot it anyway. What he observed was a male, young by the sounds of it and had obviously been caught up in whatever blow out had leveled the place. The fact that this guy was still alive was enough to make Dean weary.

He slowly inched towards the body on the ground; the guy let out a pained moan and was rubbing his head while struggling to get up. Unsure of how to proceed, Dean lightly kicked the guy's shoe before backing up to a safe distance and settled into a defensive stance. "Hey dude, you ok?"

There was grumble that sounded off, as in not English, before Dean was finally able to get a good look at his potential foe but was definitely taken by surprise. The kid, cause there was no other to say it, had bright orange hair yet looked Asian. Dean doubted the kid was over 20 but aside from the unnatural color of his hair and the fact the he was standing in the middle of some kind of supernatural ground zero, he looked rather normal.

"Who are you?" Dean tried to get the kid's attention; obviously he was still disoriented from his close encounter with the dirt.

XX

Ichigo was pissed. He had figured it took some serious power to raise the dead but you'd think someone would have put a memo in his files that it would let off this kind of shockwave. Honestly, if he'd been prepared for it he wouldn't have kissed the ground like he had, much less pass out. To add insult to injury, his first meeting with the Winchester man had begun with Ichigo trying to get his sorry ass off the ground. Yes, great first impression.

Once he'd managed to become upright once more, it had taken a bit for him to get his bearings right and after a few moments and much internal cursing Ichigo had finally gotten his first look at the Imperial Vessel. The man looked to be in his mid-twenties, a few inches taller than himself, brown shortly cropped hair and covered in dirt. Ichigo winced internally realised the guy had had to dig himself out of his grave, maybe he should have thought of that and dug the guy out.

Ichigo took in Winchester's obvious weariness of him and groaned, this was not going to be easy. From what he'd read Hunters were suspicious of everyone, bordering on paranoid and had a shoot first ask questions later approach to most situations. At the very least the man wasn't armed, hadn't actually attacked him yet and Ichigo could understand what he'd been asked even though the guy sounded like crap.

"My name is Ichigo, I am not here to hurt you." Ichigo offered but winced at his English. It had sounded so lame and he felt completely clueless has to how to get this man to trust him.

"I'm gonna need more than that kid, where's Sammy?" Winchester asked firmly.

Ichigo wasn't sure who this Sammy was and it was taking him a little bit to figure just what the man had said as he spoke quickly and his voice was hoarse. He scrambled thinking back to what he'd been able to read in the files, finally an idea came to him though he wasn't exactly comfortable with it.

"I'm sorry I do not know who Sammy is but I think I can show you that you can trust me." Slowly Ichigo squatted down and reach for his bag, making sure he kept eye contact with the man glaring at him suspiciously. He reached in with one hand, keeping the other visible and dug around trying to find what he needed. He pulled out the flask first and threw it the Hunter's feet and then once he found the knife he threw into the ground just out of the man's reach but easily accessible.

Ichigo hoped that this way he could at the very least prove he wasn't a demon and they would be able to move on from there.

XX

Dean eyed the kid suspiciously and tensed up when the orange head (there was just no other way to put it since the kid had hair the color of damn traffic cone) had reached into a bag to dig something out. It had been obvious that he wasn't from around here with a thick accent like that but Dean had understood him well enough. Relief washed over when all that was tossed at him was a flask and he caught the cross etched into the front. Maybe the kid was Hunter, it hadn't been his first thought but this was better than having to face off with a Demon.

He'd just been about to crouch down and grab the flask when he caught a flash of silver and knife buried itself in the ground not a foot away from him. Dean didn't doubt it had been done on purpose and was actually a bit impressed. Not only had it a been a good throw, no doubt the kid was showing off a bit, but it showed him that this Ichigo kid was willing to give him a weapon but not stupid enough to just hand it over.

The longer this situation went on the more Dean got the feeling he was dealing with another Hunter. Keeping his eyes fixed on the kid Dean reached down for the flask first before carefully stretching out his arm to pry the knife out of the ground. Sure there was no way of being sure the flask actually held Holy water but the knife was definitely silver.

"Alright we're gonna do this my way and we're gonna do it quick. You understand?" Dean ordered and waited for the kid to respond.

"OK." Ichigo agreed with a scowl, this was going to suck.

"Come over here, slowly." Dean directed Ichigo who did just that. Once Dean felt the kid was close enough he signaled for him to stop and unscrewed the flask cap before unceremoniously throwing the contents into the Asian's face keeping a close look for any and all reactions.

Though Ichigo had had a good idea of what was coming, it was still a really shitty experience to have water throw in your face and couldn't help the string of curses from being shouted out.

"EH! English only buddy!" Dean barked, honestly it had been kinda funny to see the kid's reaction and he was sure that whatever had just been yelled out wasn't rated G. Still he was glad that so far, if it really was Holy water, the kid seemed to be human. But Dean wasn't anywhere near to trusting Ichigo yet and he wasn't done. "Aright, now come a bit close and gimme your arm. I'm warning you, you try something and I've got no problem sticking you with this. We clear?"

Ichigo scowled and nodded in agreement. He had a brief moment of worry, this was gigai… Would it actually bleed? I couldn't seem to remember. Well it's not like he could actually die… Sure it would make things awkward but he'd figure it out if it came. Ichigo schooled his face and extended his arm towards Winchester.

Dean grabbed the offered arm tightly and took a close look at the face in front his. He had no doubt that he'd been right to call Ichigo a kid, Dean would put him somewhere between 18 and 20. There was something about the brown eyes though that told him there was more there. Despite the impressive bitch face Ichigo was giving him, he wasn't even flinching at what they both knew was about to happen.

Dean didn't hesitate when he let the blade glide across Ichigo's forearm and he kept his grip tight. He broke eye contact, satisfied that Ichigo's eyes hadn't changed and the lack of reaction only enforced Dean's belief that he was dealing with a Hunter. Looking closely at the bright red blood which was now oozing out of cut he let go of the kid's arm and finally allowed himself to breathe.

"You a Hunter?" Dean finally asked impressed by Ichigo as he took back his arm and inspected the cut briefly. He was confused when a caught a small smirk tweak the corners of the kid's mouth.

"No, I'm a Shinigami." Ichigo answered plainly. He wanted to get things out in the open quickly. If he was honest from the start it would limit problems in the future and he was hoping that this was the best way to get things moving and finally get out of this creepy crater.

**TBC**

**AN: There you have it folks, chapter 3. I took a bit longer to get out than I wanted but the holidays were killer and I wanted to get this right. Ichigo's and Dean's first meeting is a really big deal and it was my first time writing Dean so I agonized over it. **

**I'm still looking into a getting a beta, suggestions are welcome.**

**And don't forget, reviews feed authors ;)**

**~Ja ne**


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